VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday expressed serious dissatisfaction over the State government’s failure to provide even basic amenities in welfare hostels.
The court questioned why Government Order (GO) No. 46, issued by the previous government mandating district collectors, joint collectors and other officials to visit welfare hostels once every 15 days and stay overnight, was not being implemented.
The court directed the government to specify a clear timeline for ensuring safe drinking water for hostel students. While the government informed the court that 320 new Reverse Osmosis (RO) water plants had been sanctioned, the Bench observed that the number was inadequate considering the strength of students in hostels across the State.
The court ordered the State government to constitute a committee to oversee the provision of basic infrastructure in welfare hostels and issued directions to the Chief Secretary (CS) in this regard. It instructed that officials from welfare departments be included in the committee and that the Chief Secretary personally monitor its functioning. The court further directed that infrastructure in hostels be developed in accordance with the guidelines of the NCPCR, and asked the government to prepare a plan for drinking water, toilets and other essential facilities.
The directions were issued by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by K Akhil Sriguru Teja of Kakinada district.